


Memories Made

by imafriendlydalek



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Couch Cuddles, Gen, Inspired by Music, Past Relationship(s), Steve Feels, Steve Rogers and the 21st Century, Tony Feels
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-22
Updated: 2015-03-22
Packaged: 2018-03-19 03:05:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 788
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3594024
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/imafriendlydalek/pseuds/imafriendlydalek
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve Rogers, Captain America, the man who had fought in a world war and lived to tell the tale, six-foot-something of muscles and perfection tucked into a ball on the couch, a cushion clutched to his chest and tears streaming down his face.</p>
<p>In which Steve and Tony explore their emotions as a result of listening to a certain bit of pop music.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Memories Made

It was mid-afternoon when Tony stumbled out of the elevator from a marathon session in the workshop. He rubbed at his eye, no doubt leaving behind a smear of grease, and blinked.

It was a sunny day, light streaming in through the windows. Music filtered into the kitchen from the living room. Clint and Natasha were out on a mission - they’d left at around the same time Tony had had his latest greatest idea - and there was a science conference in Boston that Bruce and Jane were speaking at, Thor insistent on joining them.

_Huh,_ he thought, _must be Cap catching up on pop music._

He shoved a cookie from Barton’s stash into his mouth and poured himself a cup of coffee before heading into the living room.

_Plunk._ The cookie landed in his coffee with a splash, hot liquid scalding his wrist, but Tony barely noticed as he stood in the doorway with his mouth agape.

Steve Rogers, Captain America, the man who had fought in a world war and had taken down Hydra and SHIELD and lived to tell the tale, six-foot-something of muscles and perfection tucked into a ball on the couch, cushion clutched to his chest and tears streaming down his face.

“Oh God, Steve.” Tony’s brain kicked in again and he rushed over to the couch, dumping his mug on the coffee table and wrapping his arms around the other man’s shoulders. “What - what happened? Bad day?”

They all had their down days, days when the weight of their experiences hit them seemingly all at once. Tony had had a whole month and a half of them after Pepper had left, had retreated into his workshop and a bottle of scotch. Clint stole away to the rooftop when Loki was mentioned; Bruce would disappear to god-knows-where. Natasha kept her emotions closer to home, but every so often she would emerge from her room after being holed up for a few days and put in a maintenance request for the walls to be re-plastered. Even Thor had down days on occasion - weather reports during those times generally noted a continued stretch of thunderstorms. Steve had had more and more of those days since Bucky had reappeared and then disappeared again.

He shook his head slightly and leaned his head into Tony’s chest without a word.

_Okay, this is new,_ Tony thought.

_I’ll remember you said_ a high-pitched voice coming through the speakers pulled Tony out of this thoughts. _Sometimes it lasts in love but sometimes it hurts instead._

“Oh jeez,” Tony groaned, “he’s discovered Adele.” He rubbed a hand over his face. “JARVIS, can we kill the music please?”

“No, leave it please.”

Tony looked down at the other man.

“I like it,” Steve added quietly, his face still buried in Tony’s shirt.

“Geez Cap,” Tony chuckled, “had no idea you were such a masochist.”

At least he was rewarded with a quiet snicker.

“Sometimes it’s nice to just… remember.”

“Hmm.” 

_I wish nothing but the best for you toooooooo_

And then it hit Tony too. “I suppose you’re right,” he said as a memory of Pepper drifted through his mind, stirring something he’d carefully buried away, and he was surprised to note that it didn't hurt anymore. It was okay.

_Regrets and mistakes, they are memories made._

“Pepper once tried to get me to go to see her in concert.”

“How was it?”

“I didn't go. She went with a friend instead.”

“I should have gone. I should have been there. But I just… didn't go. I was too wrapped up in whatever it was that I thought was more important...”

“Don’t go down that road, Tony. I've been to that place. You end up waking up in the middle of the night, trying to catch someone who’s already fallen.”

“Yeah, Cap, I guess you’re right.”

“Sorry, this is probably not something you should be listening to right now.” He reached for his phone.

“No, Steve, it's fine. I'm fine.”

And he was. It had been more than half a year and he had made peace with losing Pepper.  
“I thought her leaving would be the worst thing that I would ever have to face,” he caught himself saying out loud, “and it felt that way at first, but somehow, I know now, it wasn't.”

He paused.

“And that's not just because the other stuff was worse.”

Steve turned his head to look up at him. His eyes were swollen and his lashes wet with tears, but a smile spread over his face. “You’re a strong man, Tony Stark. Stronger than I am.”

Tony laughed. “Finally he admits it!”

The cushion Steve had been clutching caught him on the side of the face.

**Author's Note:**

> The song is, of course, Someone Like You by Adele.
> 
> This is my first stab at writing fic. Constructive feedback greatly appreciated! You can also find me on tumblr under this same username.


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